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Thursday, May 24, 2012

Pat McDermott Gets Lost in a Story

Please help me welcome Pat McDermott to our blog today! Pat and I met through the Celtic Hearts Romance Writers, and I'm thrilled to get the chance to interview her!

BIO: Born and educated in Boston, Massachusetts, Pat grew up in a family full of music and myths that have found their way into her stories. Her "Band of Roses" trilogy and her young adult novel, Glancing Through the Glimmer, are romantic adventures set in an Ireland that might have been.

Pat is a member of the New Hampshire Writers' Project, Seacoast Writers' Association, Romance Writers of America, and Celtic Hearts Romance Writers. Pat's favorite non-writing activities include cooking, hiking, reading, and traveling, especially to Ireland. She lives and writes in New Hampshire.

About A Band of Roses:

Irish kings still rule the Emerald Isle—and a princess is in trouble . . .

Ancient Irish traditions remain strong in a world where High King Brian Boru survived the Battle of Clontarf and established a dynasty that rules Ireland to this day. When greed for oil prompts England's Regent to claim an Irish island in the North Atlantic, Ireland's Crown Princess Talty becomes a pawn in a murderous plot to seize the throne of England.

From Japan to California to an eleventh century Ireland preparing for the Battle of Clontarf, Talty must hide her true identity, through she can't hide her ingrained training as a member of the Fianna: the warriors who guard the Kingdom of Ireland. She brings home a discovery worth more than any oil well, yet all she wants is to return to her family and Neil Boru, the adoptive cousin she secretly loves and cannot have- or so she thinks. Neil has a secret of his own, one that emerges as the Boru clan works with MI6 to thwart an invasion of Ireland and bring Talty home.

PAT: Not often
enough, Alexa. I do get lost in whatever story I’m currently writing, and when I’m writing, I tend to read
lots of non-fiction for research. But I love it when a story I’m reading for pleasure has
me eager to hide away and read it. Nothing beats a well-written story that
makes you forget about everything else.

ALEXA:Whats the first book you remember reading?

PAT:Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans. Loved
those “twelve little
girls in two straight lines.”

ALEXA:Whats your favorite fairy tale?

PAT: Sleeping Beauty. A beautiful princess, fairies and magic, an evil witch and her
sinister spells, a handsome prince. Can’t go wrong with all that.

ALEXA:Fairy Tale or Action Adventure?

PAT: That’s a tough one,
as I’ve written and
enjoy reading both. I’d have to go with Action Adventure.

Making friends at the Connemara Heritage and History Centre, Ireland

ALEXA:If you were given a chance to travel to the past where would you go and specifically why?

PAT: I’d love to visit pre-Christian Ireland to meet some of the personalities from ancient lore and poetry, listen to the music, learn the dances, hear firsthand how the shanachies told their tales, and find an answer or two to some of the mysteries those magical people left behind. For example, there are several modern theories, but why did the inhabitants of ancient Ireland really build homes on islands in the middle of lakes?

ALEXA:Where do you read and how often?

PAT: I have a reading chair beside a gas fireplace, very nice during snowstorms. I
also read in bed almost every night.

ALEXA:What sound or noise do you love?

PAT: The sound of ocean waves. So restful, yet a gentle reminder of the power of the
mighty ocean.

ALEXA:What's your favorite movie of all time?

PAT: It’s a tie between
Casablanca and Ghostbusters.

ALEXA:Who's your favorite villain?

PAT: The wicked witch in The Wizard of Oz.

ALEXA:Be honest, when reading...do you put yourself in the
heroines role?

PAT: Of course. I also put myself in the hero’s role, the villain’s role, and the secondary characters’ roles. Depends which POV I’m writing in at the moment.
I suppose it’s kind of scary
to think one person can morph into so many different characters, but I know I’m not the only writer who
does this. I suspect readers do it too, as they enjoy getting inside characters’ heads.

ALEXA:Whats your favorite kind of story to get lost in?

PAT: Lately I’ve been enjoying YA
adventures, and I love pirate stories and good mysteries.

Pat, thanks so much for taking time to join us today! Folks, Pat will be giving away an e-copy of A Band of Roses to one lucky commenter!

Note: Offer void where prohibited. Prizes will be e-mailed Internationally. Odds of winning vary due to the number of entrants. Winners of drawings are responsible for checking this site in a timely manner. If prizes are not claimed in a timely manner, the author may not have a prize available. Get Lost In A Story cannot be responsible for an author's failure to mail the listed prize. GLIAS does not automatically pass email addresses to guest authors unless the commenter publicly posts their email address.

I am an author, a contest winner, a teacher, an editor, a critiquer, an online writing class instructor, a traveler, a hopeless romantic, and an optimist. I write romantic suspense and contemporary romance for Decadent Publishing!

31 comments:

Thanks for interviewing Pat, Alexa! I can't believe it--two of my very favorite people together in one interview. Pat, thanks for reminding me about Madeline. It's been years and years since I read that darling little story. Loved reading about your favorites. I enjoy many of the same ones, too. Thanks for bringing out Band of Roses. What a FABULOUS story! It kept me on the edge of my chair. Can't wait for the next one to be released. Or the third one, for that matter!~Donna

Hi, Donna! I really loved Madeline and Miss Clavel and that "old house in Paris all covered with vines." Can't remember what I had for supper last night, but I can remember so many lines from those wonderful books. Thank you for coming over to visit, and for your lovely comments.

Hello Pat! Speaking of getting lost in a story...I really got lost in A Band of Roses. You are a fine writer with an unerring sense of plot and pacing. I hope everyone who reads this blog will also read your book. Wonderful characters and mesmerizing story.

I laughed out loud when I read your comment above, that your favorite movies are a tie between Casablanca and Ghostbusters. Hmmm, yes, I can see Bill Murray in a gin joint somewhere...

No, Abigail, you're not!! I live near the New Hampshire seacoast now, but I visit Boston often enough for the crazy traffic to cure me of wanting to move back :-) Thank you for stopping by - without rear-ending me!!

Paisley, I always loved how "the smallest one was Madeline." Reminds us that good things come in small packages, yes? After we stayed in Howth, Ireland for a night, I tried to find an ocean wave CD, but nothing could duplicate the sound of that bay lapping outside our hotel window. Thanks for popping by!

I love the ethereal quality of your writing Pat. Even your choice of favorite villain promotes that romantic quality, who better than the wicked witch to hate. I wish you the best of luck. Hugs n Kisses

That's why we have sequels, Susan, and trilogies, and whole darn series. I suspect that writers too feel sad when a story they've written comes to an end. Those pesky characters have a life of their own, and we grow attached to them. Or they niggle at us until we give them a new story to call home. So great that you stopped by. Thanks!

Lovely Interview. Great questions, Alexia. I'm sure I couldn't answer half of them. I loved Glancing Through the Glimmer. Can't wait to see Princess Talty again. Such a beautiful warrior. I'm sorry she's in trouble. On second thoughts, I'm sure she'll prove to be very entertaining. So glad she's back in your magic pages, Pat.

Hey Pat! Hey Alexia! Wonderful interview. I knew there was a reason we got along, Pat. Anybody who's favorite movie is a tie between Casablanca and Ghostbusters is versatile enough for me! (I couldn't even narrow it down to a tie between movies, but for sure, I've got many diverse favorites.)